Course Outline for Effective Classroom Discipline Skills

Week 1

Lesson 1- I've Got a Secret!

I've Got A Secret! In our first lesson, you'll learn a very important secret about children and discipline. Once you know the secret, you'll be empowered to solve all classroom discipline problems, whether minor or severe. Armed with your new knowledge, you'll be on your way to a more peaceful, respectful, and productive classroom.

Lesson 2- Children Need to Behave

Children Need to Behave - This lesson explores what motivates student behavior. We come into the world with a set of needs, and for the rest of our lives, we struggle to learn how to best meet those needs. In this lesson, you'll examine students’ needs and learn how to teach to them to meet those needs responsibly.

Week 2

Lesson 3- Now You're Going to Get It

Now You're Going to Get It - You probably already know what approaches don't work with students, but this lesson will explain why they don't work. You'll learn about the brain’s three control centers and how they affect your students’ behavior. You'll also learn how to avoid ineffective responses that can only make problems worse.

Lesson 4- And the Winner Is . . .

And the Winner Is... - When discipline is practiced correctly, there are no losers, only winners. Teachers win because they are able to have their needs met without imposing authority or control. Students get their needs met because they get a say in the process through the use of choices. This is the win-win approach to discipline.

Week 3

Lesson 5- You've Got to Have a Plan

You've Got to Have a Plan - You have to have a plan. If you just react as situations present themselves, you are going to continually have problems. In this lesson, I'll help you create a game plan for effective classroom discipline. With this plan, you and your students can agree on which behaviors are acceptable and which are not in your classroom.

Lesson 6- What to Do When

What to Do When - Now that you have a plan, what do you do when students choose to misbehave? What do you do when they behave responsibly? In this lesson, we'll talk about actions you can take when students choose to ignore boundaries. In addition, you'll learn about the reinforcing actions you should take when students choose to act responsibly.

Week 4

Lesson 7- Problems and Maturity

Problems and Maturity - Now that you're halfway through the course, it's time to put your new knowledge into action. In the remaining lessons, you learn how to apply what you've learned to discipline problems that commonly occur in any classroom. You'll learn how to deal with these specific problem behaviors: the attention-demander, the apple-polisher, and the whiner.

Lesson 8- Problems with Others

Problems With Others - This lesson focuses on solving problems that involve how students relate to and interact with each other. You'll learn steps that you can take that will both stop the inappropriate behavior and teach appropriate, responsible behavior. You'll learn how to effectively deal with these types of students: the arguer or excuse maker, the bully, and the fighter.

Week 5

Lesson 9- Problems and Defiance

Problems and Defiance - In this lesson, you'll learn active listening and other techniques that you can use to defuse emotional situations. You'll learn how to effectively deal with students who continually behave in ways that push your emotional buttons and try your patience. You'll learn what to do when confronted with the defier, the disrespectful, and the disrupter.

Lesson 10- Problems and Schoolwork

Problems and Schoolwork - Behavior problems often result in poor academic performance, either directly or indirectly. This lesson gives you a practical approach to helping students who have chosen to not work to their full potential. You'll learn how to help problem students such as the do-nothing, the cheater, and the homework hater.

Week 6

Lesson 11- Problems and Independence

Problems and Independence - In this lesson, you'll examine discipline problems that arise out of students’ need for freedom and independence. These problems occur more frequently in the preteen and teenage years, but independence can be an issue at any age. If you are a parent as well as a teacher, you'll be interested in this lesson that shows you how to successfully deal with the procrastinator and the rebel.

Lesson 12- Let's Try Again Tomorrow

Let's Try Again Tomorrow - What do you do if you try these new approaches but they don't work? That's the subject of this last lesson. We'll look at some additional strategies you can use to solve severe or recurring problems. The course ends on a positive note with a reminder of all of the good reasons why we chose to become teachers in the first place.